The Carnivora (Mammalia) from the middle Miocene locality of Gračanica (Bugojno Basin, Gornji Vakuf, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The Carnivora (Mammalia) yielded in the coal mine Gračanica in Bosnia and Herzegovina are composed of the caniform families Amphicyonidae ( Amphicyon giganteus ), Ursidae ( Hemicyon goeriachensis , Ursavus brevirhinus ) and Mustelidae (indet.) and the feliform family Percrocutidae ( Percrocuta mioce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironments 2020-06, Vol.100 (2), p.307-319
Main Authors: Bastl, Katharina, Nagel, Doris, Morlo, Michael, Göhlich, Ursula B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Aquatic mammals
Biodiversity
Carnivora
Coal mines
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Fauna
Fossils
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Freshwater mammals
Mammalia
Manganese
Meat
Miocene
Mollusks
Mustelidae
Omnivores
Original Paper
Paleontology
Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
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Summary:The Carnivora (Mammalia) yielded in the coal mine Gračanica in Bosnia and Herzegovina are composed of the caniform families Amphicyonidae ( Amphicyon giganteus ), Ursidae ( Hemicyon goeriachensis , Ursavus brevirhinus ) and Mustelidae (indet.) and the feliform family Percrocutidae ( Percrocuta miocenica ). The site is of middle Miocene age and the biostratigraphical interpretation based on molluscs indicates Langhium, correlating Mammal Zone MN 5. The carnivore faunal assemblage suggests a possible assignement to MN 6 defined by the late occurrence of A. giganteus and the early occurrence of H. goeriachensis and P. miocenica . Despite the scarcity of remains belonging to the order Carnivora, the fossils suggest a diverse fauna including omnivores, mesocarnivores and hypercarnivores of a meat/bone diet as well as Carnivora of small (Mustelidae indet.) to large size ( A. giganteus ). Faunal similarities can be found with Prebreza (Serbia), Mordoğan, Çandır, Paşalar and Inönü (all Turkey), which are of comparable age. The absence of Felidae is worthy of remark, but could be explained by the general scarcity of carnivoran fossils. Gračanica records the most eastern European occurrence of H. goeriachensis and the first occurrence of A. giganteus outside central Europe except for Namibia (Africa). The Gračanica Carnivora fauna is mostly composed of European elements.
ISSN:1867-1594
1867-1608
DOI:10.1007/s12549-018-0353-0